Coupling-yoke



H. L. SPENCE. COUPLING YOKE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 14, I916. RENEWED FEB. 7. 1920.

Patented June 8,1920;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBER'I L. SPENCE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR- TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

COUPLING-YOKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed November M, 1916, Serial. No. 131,215. Renewed February 7, 1920. Serial No. 357,012.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT L. Srnncn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coupling-Yokes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a yoke embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section; Fig. 3 is a partial elevation showing the yoke mem bers in position for assembly, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the lower yoke member.

My invention relates to coupler yokes, particularly of the type in which access to the cushioning mechanism is obtained without disturbing the coupler or the upper portion of the yoke by removal of the lower yoke arm, and also permits the coupler to be removed without disturbing the cushioning mechanism, and which consistsin the construction and arrangement of parts which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a coupler butt, B the upper member of the yoke and C the bottom or lower member of the yoke. Each yoke member has an inwardly-extending coupler-engaging gib 2 intended to engage a forward face 3 of the coupler liner block A. The upper member B, at its forward end, has downwardlyextending webs 4, each of which near its lower end has an outwardly and horizontally extending projection 5 and a recess or notch 6 in the forward edge of each web immediately above each such projection. At its rear end the member 13 has a vertically extending portion 7, the lowermost extremity of which is reduced in width, and apertured.

The lower yoke member C, which is of T-shape, has at its forward end outwardlyprojecting arms 8, which also extend toward the rear, intended to seat in the notches 6 and bear upon the projections 5 of the upper member B. The inner faces 9 of the arms 8 may be vertical and parallel and engage the outer faces of the webs 4 at the rear ends of the notches 6 therein. The member C terminates at its rear end in a bifurcated jaw 10, which takes about the reduced lower member B has been placed in position and the coupler butt A, followers 12 and cushioning mechanism have been inserted, the lower member C is then raised so that the body of the member is between the webs 4, and the projections 6 are forward of the webs. The member C is then moved directly to the rear until the apertures in the jaw 10 at its rear end register with the aperture in the reduced lower end of the depending portion 7 of the upper member, when the connecting pin 11 may be inserted. Such rearward movement of the member C brings its arms 8 into position in the notches 6 and upon the projections 5, and the inner faces 9 on the arms 8 engage the outer sides of the webs ust to the rear of the notches 6.

To remove coupler or cushioning mechanism the pin 11 is first withdrawn, and the lower yoke arm is then pulled forwardly until its arms 8 disengage from the projections 5. It is then dropped down, thus permitting removal of coupler or cushioning mechanism without disturbing the other parts.

It will be seen that the engagement of the webs 4 by the arms 8 of the T will hold the webs from spreading, and that at the same time the projections 5 on the webs serve as a support for the arms 8 and the forward end of the lower yoke arm. Further advantages of my improved yoke are that it is of extremely simple form and can be cast readily and cheaply, and that the necessity of accurately fitting surfaces has been largely done away with, the only surfaces requiring such a fit being the surfaces 9 and the corresponding sufaces on the webs 4.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various structural modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A coupler yokehaving an upper and a lower member, each of said members being equipped with a coupler-engaging gib, webs on the upper member, the lower member at its forward end having outwardly-projecting flanges extending toward the rear and engaging the outer faces of the webs to prevent spreading thereof, said lower member being. also supported from below by said webs.

2. A coupler yoke' having an upper and a lower member, the upper member having at its forward end depending webs, and recesses in the forward edges of said webs, the lower member having at its forward end outward projections seating in said recesses, said projections also extending to the rear and bearing against the outer faces of the webs to prevent spreading.

3. A coupler yoke having an upper and a lower member, the upper member having depending webs at its front end and a depending portion at its rear end, the lower member having at its forward end outward extensions and rearward projections from the outward extensions, the rearward projections engaging outer faces of the depending webs and restraining them from outward movement, and the rear end of the lower member being secured to the depending portion at the rear end of the upper member.

4. A coupler yoke having an upper and a lower member, the upper member having at its forward end depending webs, horizontal extensions on the lower ends of said webs, the lower member having at its forward end outward extensions seating on said projections, said projections also extending to the rear and engaging the outer faces of the webs to prevent spreading.

HUBERT L. SPENCE 

